Endangered
Humpback Whales in Hawaii

Humpback whales, dolphins and seals are protected
by NOAA Fisheries Service under the Marine Mammal Protection
Act of 1972 (MMPA). Humpback whales, sperm whales, monk
seals and sea turtles are further protected by NOAA Fisheries
Service under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) and
by the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
under Hawai‘i State Law. NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands
Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary regulations provide
additional protection for humpback whales and their habitat
in Hawai‘i. The recommended guidelines presented here
do not replace federal or state law.

It is interesting to note that even though
I spent much of my time sailing, fishing ,surfing and swimming
in Hawaii's waters since 1964, I saw my first humpback whale
in 1983.

According to CascadiaResearch.org, the post-whaling
population (1966) size has been reported from 1,200 to 1,400
individuals (Gambell 1975; Johnson and Wolman 1984), though
the techniques used to produce these estimates were extremely
imprecise (Calambokidis et al. 1997). Estimates from the
late 1970s and early 1980s for portions of the North Pacific
ranged from about 1,000-2,000 individuals (Darling and Morowitz
1986; Baker and Herman 1987). Calambokidi et al. (1997)
produced the most recent estimate for the North Pacific
(from 1992-1993) of 6,010 animals (SE = 474). They discuss
a number of directional biases that should be taken into
account, which suggest that the estimate of about 6,000
animals underestimates the true abundance (which might be
closer to 8,000 individuals). Based on photo-identification
results, population estimates for humpbacks off California
have increased at an average annual rate of 8% between 1988
and 1998 (Calambokidis et al. 1999). Off Hawaii, based on
aerial survey results from 1977-80 and from 1990, Mobley
et al. (1999a) show evidence of a local increase in numbers
on the Hawaiian wintering grounds (see also Cerchio 1998).
Aerial surveys in Hawaii in 1993, 1995 and 1998 show further
evidence of an increase in numbers, at an annual rate of
7% (Mobley et al. 1999b).

How
long do Humpback Whales live?
How do Humpback Whales die?

Because baleen whales lack teeth, which are
often one of the best ways to tell the age of an animal,
it is difficult to tell. Humpback whales are believed to
live as long as 80 years. Humpback whales are sometimes
preyed upon by killer whales. Pods of killer whales have
been observed attacking humpback whales, especially targeting
young humpback whales during migration. Commercial hunting
of humpback whales for oil, meat, and the baleen for apparel
materials (corset stays, umbrella ribs, buggy whips etc.)
took place from the 17th to early 20th centuries. Indigenous
hunters still practice subsistence whaling on a small-scale
and the Japanese and some other countries still kill whales
under the guise of scientific research. Whales can be tangled
in netting and fishing gear and struck by ocean vessels.
The effects of pollution on Humpback whales is unknown and
may be harmful.